Will DS2 be as late as DS1? Don't want to be induced!! Also, will birth be quicker??

[nezelette]

30 weeks pregnant with baby2. Baby1 was 8 days late and I heard seconds can be even later?? I had a sweep last time and gave birth in 3h45 min with gas and air + TENs so can't complain but I'm terrified baby2 will be later and they'll mess up my natural process (which worked well last time) by forcing me to have an induction. What's most likely to happen??
Also, is birth always quicker the second time?? Do I need to worry about baby2 popping out in 2 seconds given how quick baby1 was for a first?? (my friend's just given birth in just over an hour to baby1 by the way!!!! It DOES happen!!)

Hi Nez
I think things generally happen quicker second time around but there's no guarantees.

With DS1 I went to 40+5, went into labour naturally, was in labour for 23 hours and ended up with an epi and a ventouse delivery, an episiotomy and extensive tearing that didn't heal for months. Horrible experience

With DS2 I still hadn't gone into labour at 42 weeks, ended up being induced (waters were broken) had a 3.5 labour that in comparison was relatively pain free, pushed for 10 minutes and out he popped, a minor second degree tear and piles were all I had to show this time. Booking the induction allowed us to plan childcare for DS1, in fact we put him to bed, went off to the hospital and I was home the next day. I know which one I prefered!

Good luck whatever happens, having 2 DCs is fab, we're loving it

HI
DS1 was 40+6
DS2 was 39+5

DS2's labour was approx 2/3 quicker than DS1's and much more manageable, nowhere near as fast as your 1st though! So I would say 2nd was earlier and faster for me, at least.

Don't worry and Good luck!

Both my ds arrived on their due dates. My first labour was 3 1/2hrs and my second 6 hrs. DS1 was 8lb 9 and ds2 was 7lb 14. I seem to be very unconventional!

I was terrified with ds2 that i wouldn't get to the hospital on time but everything turned out fine!

It's worth knowing that they can't "force" you to have an induction, or any other intervention for that matter. It's not for them to "allow" you to go to 40+10 (or whatever your local PCT's protocols are) and not a day further. The World Health Organisation define term as anywhere between 37 and 42 weeks gestation - so you're not really overdue until you get past then anyway.

If they recommend an induction and you don't want it they should offer you regular monitoring to ensure baby is fine.

DD was born at 40+10, so I'd started doing my background research . My logic was that as long as I felt OK, the baby was still moving, and there was nothing definite they could point at to indicate an induction was advisable for me (as an individual rather than protocol) I was going to to be contrary!

I don't think anyone can tell you the answer. anything could happen to be honest.

my first was 2 weeks late. 2nd was a day late.

but a friend of mine had her first 5 days early and her second 2 weeks late.

and no, it isn't always quicker the second time round either, though it does tend to be

I nearly didn't post on here as I didn't want to depress you but I was two weeks late with dc1 and had her naturally I was also 2 weeks late with dc2 and was induced. He was born approx 3 hours after I was put on the drip.
I was very nervous and was dreading it all through my pregnancy, which of course made things worse!
In the end it was fine, he was healthy and is now nearly two and that's the main thing to remember- whatever happens, as long as you are all well that's the most imp thing

Thanks everyone! It seems that as always there's no way to know what's going to happen! Well, it's always nice and interesting to hear real life stories rather than the usual platitudes about averages and stats that you get in magazines!

Phebee and Mrsruffallo: it's good to know that induction doen't mean long horrendous birth, I don't know why I'm so scared!

Tangle:also great to know I can delay it for quite a while and try not to be bullied into anything. I'm French and in France they REALLY bully you into induction. Had DS1 in Brighton and am more than happy with less medicalised side of some Brit hospitals/midwife-led birth centres.

Chattyhan you might be unconventional but your babies are very civilised turning up right on time!

Hi Nezelette,

didn't realise you were in France - you might want to do a little local research just to check things are the same. In the UK I'm pretty sure that the only time you can have medical treatment forced on you is if you've been sectioned as mentally incompetent AND it's a life saving treatment (as refusing it would be suicide and suicide is illegal), and even for that I think you need a court order. As Mary Cronk says, "'allow' is not a word to use to a mentally competent adult." The challenge is differentiating "advice" that is protocol and "advice" that is medically sensible for the individual case (which is why we opted for IM's in the end so protocol was knocked out of the equation).

Fingers crossed your DC arrives in good time and you don't have to try and fight battles

My second came on edd, but ds1 came 6 days late. I was scrubbing floors and cleaning windows, hot curries and lots of sex!

Baby will make appearance when ready, just hope you dont have to wait to long for there arrival

All my 3 were 3 days early but think it's quite unusual for them all to come at the same time. My labours were all completely different.

DD 19 hours active labour
DS1 40 minutes active labour
DS2 6 hours 20 minutes active labour

OK thanks all!
Tangle: I'm not actually in France, I'm in London but I'm French and glad not to be there in a way! They keep mums in hospital for a whole week and pamper them, which is nice if you don't mind hospital, but there's still a lot of doctor-led births, "on your back and shut up" kind of thing! You get an internal every single month!!!
I'm going to the Blommsbury Birth Centre in the UCH by the way, anyone heard of it??